Affliction VP Tom Atencio: Third MMA show 'being put together right now'
by Jesse Holland on May 13, 2009 12:05 PM EDT
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Props: Sherdog.com
Quoteworthy:
The third Affliction show is being put together right now, so I will give everybody what they want. It’s just one of those things that takes time. I always say this over and over and over again: This is only our third event. It’s not like we’ve done small events prior to our first one. It takes time to re-structure and figure everything out. Yeah, I understand the fans and people want us to continue, but when you’re new to it, you take your time because you want to get it right. You don’t want to make the same mistakes that I’ve made on the last two shows.
Affliction Vice President Tom Atencio talks about the learning curve that is involved with running a successful mixed martial arts promotion. Atencio and Co. have thus far managed to stage two major pay-per-view (PPV) events with mixed results since making a foray in the industry in mid 2008. He plans to hold a show sometime in the latter part of 2009; however, will not commit to a firm date, location or venue because nothing is official at this time. It is expected that WAMMA Heavyweight Champion Fedor Emelianenko will once again anchor the third show against number one contender Josh Barnett if it indeed does take place.
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I hope Affliction sticks around. It’s been very entertaining thus far.
by introvert on May 13, 2009 12:10 PM EDT reply actions
yeah. It makes the UFC put on old PPVs on SPIKE. If Affliction dies, then they wont do that anymore. so yeah, stick around Affliction! oh yeah, their fights aren’t that bad either. :P
by Synyster_08 on May 13, 2009 12:48 PM EDT up reply actions
the shows have been good and if they can give us fedor vs barnett i will be very happy.
by roy on May 13, 2009 2:18 PM EDT up reply actions
I do too I hope it gets huge. However I don’t like Atencio at the helm, I’m just not a fan. You can’t get a straight answer out of the guy.
Tom who do you think MIGHT be fighting on the next card? “well, the thing is we’re doing stuff right now that will effect… i mean, we want to make it better so, all I know is… well… I’ll tell you in 6 months”
Tom what color is the shirt that you’re wearing right now… “well, the thing about this shirt is that we’re doing many things to make it better.. i mean make it more than one color and thus I can’t give you that answer for another 6 months.”
Just say something anything to get the fans excited not… “we’ll give you what you want.” … This isn’t a fucking pop song, you’re not Madonna. Let’s start some gears turning in the fans heads… is that too much to ask?
by fleet on May 13, 2009 8:11 PM EDT up reply actions
I can see his nose growing in the photo. Affliction, RIP.
by Nick J on May 13, 2009 12:11 PM EDT reply actions
i agree totally i dont see them lasting much longer he should just cut his loses
by andrewb on May 13, 2009 12:26 PM EDT up reply actions
they’re no longer thee #2 org anyways…I think the success of StrikeForce will take alot of the pressure off along with the fact that they are willing to co-promote
by McArthur on May 13, 2009 12:43 PM EDT up reply actions
In term of my personal entertainment, I’d put UFC, DREAM, Strikeforce, WEC, then Affliction. I never saw them as the number 2 org.
I have to say the WEC has kinda dropped the ball for me since the dissolution of the 3 heavier classes. Dont get me wrong, I’m happy to see Condit and others in the UFC, but its taken away from the WEC to me. I dunno. But yeah. Thats how it stacks up for me.
by Synyster_08 on May 13, 2009 12:52 PM EDT up reply actions
Affliction will never be able to draw more top-level fighters unless they put on more than 1 or 2 shows a year. Fighters want exposure, which increases their value. From a business standpoint, they are better off aligning themselves with a Strikeforce and mix their fighters in sharing belts. Then they could put on their one or two major events a year and cash in, otherwise, they’ll be smoked after the next show. I can’t imagine Fedor fighting once a year and not being concerned about his money-making potential.
by slim473 on May 13, 2009 1:55 PM EDT up reply actions
pretty much have a show when fedor is ready to fight? Affliction is pretty much a vehicle for him to showcase and make big$, the rest of their fights arent really relevent although a few have been entertaining.
by PanicZoo on May 14, 2009 12:19 AM EDT up reply actions
Seems like the “learning curve” is extraordinarily steep. It takes an act of God to get an Affliction card together. Their 2 events a year are real brain busters.
by DSmith on May 13, 2009 12:13 PM EDT reply actions
“You don’t want to make the same mistakes that I’ve made on the last two shows.”
Such as losing a shit ton of money?
by naturalshadow on May 13, 2009 12:30 PM EDT up reply actions
Well then they’ll need to tear up most of their contracts and start over. I personally want them to stick around but that’s the problem with signing fighters up to make unprecedented amounts of money- you then have to spend all of your time trying to figure out how to fix it.
by DSmith on May 13, 2009 1:00 PM EDT up reply actions
You act like Fedor’s all sculpted and ripped, lol
by O damn he got caught on May 13, 2009 12:17 PM EDT up reply actions
Fedor looks like a bigger version of GSP, what are you talking about? haha
by naturalshadow on May 13, 2009 12:29 PM EDT up reply actions
fat boy might be the only one that can beat him.
by roy on May 13, 2009 2:17 PM EDT up reply actions
Tom Atencio was on the cover of Entrepreneur magazine for Affliction the MMA organization not for his t shirt company, which seems pretty fucking ridiculous considering how Affliction MMA is being mismanaged and is hemorrhaging money.
by subwayy2sallyy on May 13, 2009 12:22 PM EDT reply actions
I’m sure the guys at Enron, AIG and Bernie Madoff have also been on magazine covers.
by PW on May 13, 2009 1:29 PM EDT up reply actions
Sure, but they were at least perceived to be succesful at what they did.
by Jrandolph on May 14, 2009 12:24 AM EDT up reply actions
Any money says Barnett lands on his face like Arlovski early in that fight. Who would fight “Vitor” since I think he killed Matt Lindland, or was it just me but he layed in the background for like 15 minutes. Two worst KOs in a while cant wait to see Afflictions 3rd show.
by Cory on May 13, 2009 12:56 PM EDT reply actions
Anyone have any idea if Belfort will be on this Affliction car, and if so against who?
by GodDamnMike on May 13, 2009 12:57 PM EDT reply actions
Man, Belfort would make the UFC middlewight division all kinds of awesome.
by Jeremyjackson on May 14, 2009 12:23 AM EDT up reply actions
I want a promise from Atencio that he wont have those same two idiots doing backstage interviews, I hope they were some of the mistakes he was talking about. The one sounded like he had throat cancer and the other guy looked like Rodney Dangerfield crossed with the Fonz. They cheapened the show so much! I enjoyed the actual fights immensly.
by attakdog on May 13, 2009 1:13 PM EDT reply actions
I forgot about those idiots! They were horrible!
by psyqo78®™ on May 13, 2009 1:36 PM EDT up reply actions
Have u heard of RAMPAGE for a TUF 10 coach and him not fighting until December????
by Randy for Couture on May 13, 2009 1:16 PM EDT reply actions
I don’t think he would agree to that again. He fights best when he has less time between fights. The TUF layoff when he was going against Forrest might have cost him pretty big.
by PW on May 13, 2009 1:30 PM EDT up reply actions
against who? i can see it if rashad wins. otherwise there isn’t a lot of hype to it. if it is rashad, we are going to have to watch the “black on black crime” incident a million times before december…
by JB on May 13, 2009 2:45 PM EDT up reply actions
i cant see why fedor will stay with affliction at this rate, events ages apart and no real timetable, surely he wants to be known as one of the best ever mma fighters so has to want to fight more often. Legacies are built on great fights and lots of them it aint happening for fedor there!
by ukmma on May 13, 2009 1:55 PM EDT reply actions
thats just silly..first of all Fedor’s legacy is pretty much solid without even fighting ever again and secondly fighting twice a year is fine for someone of his stature imo
by McArthur on May 13, 2009 2:13 PM EDT up reply actions
I will tell you why this third show is taking so long to put together: Affliction was counting on wins over Sylvia and Arlovski skyrocketing the marketability of Fedor to the American fanbase. Unfortunately, they failed to realize something I have been saying for over a year; stars don’t make the UFC, the UFC makes stars. People who watched AA and Timmy in the UFC weren’t watching AA and Timmy; they were watching the UFC. The only fans they could possibly win over were fans that already knew how good Fedor was and would watch an Affliction ppv just because MMA is a drug to them (us). Unfortuantely, we are an army too small to keep Affliction afloat. Therefore, if they hemorraged Donald’s money on the first two shows, they just might bleed him dry if Fedor vs Barnett is the main event.
by JB on May 13, 2009 2:50 PM EDT reply actions
fedors legacy may well be solid but surely being classed as the top p4p in the world u wanna better yourself and fight the top guys on a regular basis and while he’s fighting at affliction that cant seem to happen. The fighters there are good but will always be seen as fighters the ufc didnt really want,imo.
by ukmma on May 13, 2009 6:25 PM EDT reply actions
Your exactly correct ukmma Fedor has had a ranking based on passed fights but now the educated mma fan is asking who has he beat lately and the best fighter is AA?1! yeah I know pretty brutal to be known as the best yet you haven’t beat the best ask Cro Cop.
by Beaver on May 14, 2009 12:02 AM EDT up reply actions
i went to the last event and it was worth every penny. i hope they dont go under. real mma fans support all mma events.
by jayc on May 14, 2009 2:03 AM EDT reply actions
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